Highway-crossing signal



Oct. 24, 1933. F HOWARD 7 1,932,017

HIGHWAY CROS SING SIGNAL Filed Dec. 11, 1950' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Tmnm @(amm 5 SWBMAL F 47 I I I INVENTOR.

A FHOM QI' Z,

62 KW A 5 ATTORNEY.

Oct. 24, 1933. L. HOWARD 1,932,017

HIGHWAY CROSSING SIGNAL Filed Dec. 11, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E 1%- =1D a! i f 20 3 H I IIQ *IIQ *IIQIIQ ll E f 14 9 f 19 2 f: 9 7 /F 25 2'7}; 5 11 1 ii 42 29 32 24 I I 24 159 v F 17 ,15 x

H 8 Hg? .37 12 $5 ir" ll lFfig Fnlr H 16 62 i m U l? E i 1 my; H :0 HRH [R 14 i i 20 19 J r; m A [a] 5%: 39

a: Wm H 42 M g i 2 58 27 :1 P29 22 I 40 i T PF 25 5l 21 Y i 1 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 24, 1933 UNITED S AT S ioF E-j" menwnyacnos's'me SIGNAL j Lemuel F. Howard, Edgewood Borough, PaL, as

signor to The Union Switch &- Signal Company, Swissvale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ."Applic'ation'Deceinber 11, 19301. Serial No. 502,875

.3. Claims. (01.177429 My invention relates to highway crossing sigs t ht pll h bpnihg 6 and cover nals, that is, to signals which are placed at the ay d ve a q n va t hq lihfi: intersection of arailway and a highway for the t h gr ma te e b A u Y JGIAS purpose of warning users of the highway when Y fit z h Qh -Qt end al s' h h s: 6 a train is approaching the intersection. More 8 d ha me m ntedb particularly,:my invention relates'to such signals m a a l ket 1 and ind cates tetrafiic which are adapted todisplay different aspects on he hw n s det s S I aLW th KQ LQ-Ot according to traffic conditions on. the railway. the temps were hhm eteg :1 .1 will describe one form of highway crossing A member 1'7 having therorm of a section of 10 signal embodying myIinventiomand willthen d i m e ors ginslm y m point out the novel features thereofingclaims. between h glass h o de -lil f en J' In the accompanying drawings, Fig. .1-is a front rearwardly exfi n fi h a .-.-s delevational view of a highway crossing signal conseemed to h flanges. 18 a em h fi ht structed according to my invention; .:Fig. 2 is a of e h r st shafts which 15 an enlarged horizontalsectional viewjtakenon are rofiatablyo e s s e a tfie bi II f F 1. Pi 3 isa vertical longithe h h heh a glesfi t lfii ingl sectiona l viewtaien on line III-III of tended by t m m is t p e rthr Fig 2 Fig. I4-is a vertical transverse sectional times that h e by O e in i view t akenvon line IV-IV of Fig. 2. Fig. .5 is divided t t e Po t Ba displaying a an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the f ef t having rm ed-s m latch mechanism taken on line VV of Fig. 3. h -t th h the h rwh e h Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic .view showing the several e l W h t epemhg Y In e en circuits controlling the operation of the appara- Stance. lxh Y i h m h 7 3. hevlhg.

tus-illustrated in'the preceding view n ."im i -lqws p a 1=- e Similar reference characters refer to similar close the openingfi to light emanating fromfthe parts in'each of the several views. lamps 10, an' n am pretieh. 22 ha i g h Referring first to Fig. 1, a highwaycrossing legend e is e rg n 1 signal embodying my invention is shown as comupper h .3 h e the s g e legend. prising a 1 or t; 1 carrying at t top there Out of order (F1g.'3).,. fIhe portions 21 and 22 of'a standard "cross buck 2. Secured to the are Preferably painted black but the Pdrtion 23 85.

l n 2 is a sin 18 bearing the legend Out of order is unpainted i fi g gg fig gfizi 1 5 5 and beneaih and provided with a light reflecting matted surthis and also secured to the mast 1 is a rectangufeeeh lhsures t If t e lamps 9 H9111 any lar housing 4 enclosing the signal apparatus coneeuseiell to fuhetleni the h vehlcle p stituting the present invention and which is preaehlhg the crossmgft hlght W l refleCted adapted selectively to display a blank aspect, a e a h h out der. a e Train coming aspect or an "Out of order? as- -h beekgtouhdhh h T pect according to certain conditions. A sign In t -e 13 tlme, h l d 1 app ar ln dark 5 displaying the words Train coming signal, letters hei t cth ze e b e th h ht 40 may also be secured to the mast 1 beneath the metal a e gless .be e ll.

housing 4 if desired, Also, ifa phantom-indicat onexists, the contrast With reference now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the between h ibrlght background and e h'.

front wall of the housing 4' is formed with an tom t efl e y the a ass back of the opening 6, protected by a hood 7, and which i teigiilwill be sufficient to render. the legend e v1s1 e.- 1 M v 45 3 1 383136??? hi h zeit 'i tfl e i fi ii g i h m g io e l es 1w e and carry a plurality of electric lamps 10 which b r 17 so as to insur at t l f j 18 are illuminated, when a train is approaching the Constantly blased y y, toward-the position highway crossing, in a manner hereinafter to for indicating Out of order. The memberl'? '50 be described. Brackets 11 are also secured to is, however, at times swung in a clockwise direc the rear wall of the housing and form thesuption, as viewed in Fig.4, against this gravity;bias portfor a reflector 12 which'extends longitudiso as to present the blank portion 21in registry nally in the rear of the lamps 10. A section of with'the opening 6, by means of an electric motor cylindrical red glass 13 is suitably mounted be- M. This motor:is,carried by a supporter plat;-

55 tween the forward ends of the brackets 11 in form 25 whichis mounted for vertical pivotal movement upon a knife edge bearing 26 (Fig. 4). The motor M drives a worm 27 which meshes with and drives a worm wheel 28 which is fixed to a shaft 29. This shaft is journalled in bearings 30 carried by the support 25 and has a roller 31 fixed thereto having a tractive periphery for frictional engagement with a roller 32 fixed to one of the stud shafts 19. The motor M and the parts directly driven thereby are so arranged onthe support as to tilt the latter in a counter-clockwise (ii-.- rection under the action of gravity to a position in which it rests upon a stop 33, with the roller 31 out of driving contact with the rgller 32. The support 25 is, however, at times swung about its bearing 26 in a clockwise direction against this gravity bias, so as to carry the roller 3i into driving engagement with the roller 32, by means of an electromagnet E. This electromagnet when energized, as will hereinafter be described, at.-...

tracts an armature 34 which is yieldably secured byspring 35 and an adjustable screw 35 to an arm 36 fixed to thesupport 25. The circuit for the motor M is controlled by 'a-contact device t l-" 37 which is mounted upon a block of insulating material 37 carried by one of the brackets 11 in aposition in which it will be opened by the member 1'? when this member is swung to its extre e upper or clockwise position shown by broken lines in Fig. 4.

Normally, that isto say when there is no interriiption' in the supply of current to the apparatus, themember is permitted to'swing in a counterclockwise direction under the action of gravity when a train approaches the crossing, as will presently be described, and is'arrested in its intermediate position sons to display the Train coming legend through the opening 6 by means of a iatch 3'8. "This latch is pivotally mounted at 33 on oneof the brackets -20 and is formed with a depending arm 40, movable into and out of the path of movement of a stop 41 carried by the adjacent flange 18 of the member 17. "The latch 38 is also provided with a horizontally extending arm 42 which carries the armature 43 of an electrom'agnet F (Fig. 3). A leaf spring 44 yieldably tends to maintain the arm 40 in a'position without the path of movement of the stop 41 when the electromagnet F is deenergized but when the circuit for this'electromagnet is completed, which is the case when a train is approaching the crossing, the latch 38 is swung about its pivot 39 against the action of the spring 44 to a position in which the arm 40 will be engaged by the stop 41 and arrest the movement of the member 1'7 in its intermediate position shown in Fig. 3. With reference now to Fig. 6 of the drawings, the apparatus is shown as being controlled by a relay R which is a part of the trackway apparatus andwhich is energized when the track section adjacent the highway crossing is unoccupied. Under such conditions the electromagnet E is energized by virtue of a circuit passing from a suitable source of electric energy, such as a local battery 45, through wire 46, front contact 47-47 of relay R, wire 48, winding of electromagnet E, and wires 49 and 50 to battery 45. The energization of electromagnet E attracts its armature 34 and holds the support 25 in its extreme clockwise position against its gravity bias with the roller 31 in frictional contact with the roller 32. This holds the member 17 in its uppermost or normal position with the lower blank portion 21 thereof in registry with the opening 6' in the housing 4 as shown in Fig. 1. The worm and worm wheel driving connection between the motor M and the member 17 prevents the backward rotation of the parts, when in this position under the weight of the member 1'7.

I will now assume that a train approaching the highway crossing deenergizes the relay R and causes it to openits front;eoni ;a :t"47+4! and interrupt the-circuit just traced through this contagt f o r the electromagnet E. The deenergization of this magnet permits the motor support 25 to drop under the action of gravity and carry the rpller 31 ,ont of frictional contact with the roller 32, thus releasing the member 17 and permitting it also to'swing downwardly under gravitational influence.

The deenergization oi the relay R also causes it to close its back contact 4'7-4'i and cause the energization'of the electroinagnet F by virtue of a circuit passing from battery 45, through wire 46, back contact 47-4; of relay R, wire 51, winding of electromagnet F, and wire 50 to battery 45. The energizatiori 'of the electromagnet F swings the latch 33 to a position in which its arm 40 will be engaged by the stop .41 carried by the flange 18 and will thus arrest the downward movement of the memberl'? in its intermediate position in which the legend Traiircoming in registry with the opening=6 asshownin Figs. 3 and 4. The closing of back contact 474.457 of. relay R also causes the illumination of the lamps 10 by virtue of a parallel circuit passingfrom battery 45, through wire 46; back contact 47:418.! of relay R, wire 52, lamps 10, and wires 53, .149 and 50 back to battery'45, thus rendering the legend interposed between the lamps 10 and the opening 6, visible to trafiic-on the highway. 1

As the member 1'7 gravitates downwardly, as above described, it permits the contact: 37:55.7! in the circuitfor the motor M toclose' but this does not complete the motor circuit-at-this time for the reason that this circuit isnow open at front contact 4'74'7= of relay R. i

As soon as thetrain passes the highway cross: ing, the relay R again becomes energized and opens its back contact 47-47? in the. circuits just traced through this contact for the electromagnet F and the lamps 10. The reenergization of relay R also closes its front contact 47:47557111011 reestablishes the circuit previouslytraced through this contact-for the electromagnet E. I ihe ener: gization of this magnet again causes it to attract its armature 34 and to swing the support 25 about its pivot 26 in a clockwise direction against its gravitational bias to a position in which the roller 31 again frictionally engages the roller 32.14 parallel circuit is also established under these conditions for motor M passing from battery 45, through wire 46, front contact 4'74'7 of relay R, wire 54, winding of motor M, wire 55, contact 37-37 which is now closed, and wires 53, 49 and 50 to battery 45. The energization of motor M cau s the a o o t r0l rl thwugh. t medium of the worm 27 and worm wheel 23 which in turn causes the rotation of roller 32 in a clockwise direction T ta i of roll r 3 swing m mbe u a d t a s i i whi h e lower blank portion 21 thereof registers with the opening 6 in the housing 4, As the member 17 reaches the limit of its; upward movement, it opens the contact device 37,73*.- and interrupts the circuit just traced through this contact .for the motor M. The circuit for the electromagnet E, however, remains intact and, therefore, this magnet holds-the roller {31 in engagement with the roller 32, thus maintaining the member. ,7

lot

1,932,015 3 'inits uppermostposition until again released, as hereinbefore described. I p My invention also contemplates the provision one'of its upper positions in the manner hereforth, I V

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of highway crossing signal emmy invention. Having thus claim is:

- said movable member 2. A highway crossing signal comprising a housing having an opening therein, a lamp disposed within said housing,

3. A highway crossing signal comprising. a.

' a circuit for said second electromagnet including of said relay.

LEMUEL F. HOWARD. 

